Venio Systems - On-Premises Installation Prerequisite Checklist (LegalHold Component Only)

This document outlines the prerequisites and configuration steps for a standard on-premises installation of Venio Systems, trimmed for clients using only the LegalHold component. Following this checklist will ensure a smooth and successful deployment. Requirements for imaging, processing, ingestion, import, OCR, and related servers have been removed, as they are not needed for LegalHold functionality. Retained components include SQL, Web Export Service, web, on-demand API, console, and supporting infrastructure.

Table of Contents

• 1.0 System Architecture & Hardware Suggestions
• 2.0 Prerequisites
  • 2.1 Service Account & Security
  • 2.2 Operating System & Frameworks
  • 2.3 Email Account and Security
• 3.0 Component Installation & Configuration
  • 3.1 SQL Server
  • 3.2 Web Server
• 4.0 Acquiring Venio Software
• 5.0 Network Firewall Configuration Summary
• 6.0 Install Venio Console, VenioWeb, OnDemandAPI (in order)
• Venio Environment Post-Deployment/Upgrade Configuration Guide
  • Important Notes
  • Configure Control Settings
  • Example Values
  • SQL Queries to Update
  • Optional: Configure Root URL Redirect via IIS Manager
  • Follow these steps in IIS Manager
• 7.0 Create new 'Legal Admin' User(s)
• 8.0 SMTP Server Config Post-Install
• 9.0 Test login from the web interface with newly created account that has Venio Admin Level of 'Legal Admin'

1.0 System Architecture & Hardware Suggestions

First, provision all required servers or virtual machines according to the minimum suggested specifications below.

For a Venio Systems LegalHold on-premises deployment with fewer than 50 users, a minimum of 32 GB RAM for the all-in-one server configuration (hosting SQL, Web, API, and Console components) should be sufficient for small-scale, low-concurrency usage, assuming typical LegalHold workflows like notice creation, tracking, and basic reporting without heavy data ingestion or processing. If you already have an existing SQL server, you can create a separate instance or use an existing instance, whichever you prefer.

Monitor resource usage post-deployment (e.g., via Windows Performance Monitor) and scale up if RAM utilization exceeds 70-80% consistently.

If your setup grows toward 50 users or involves more demanding tasks, consider separating SQL to its own server with dedicated RAM (e.g., 16-32 GB just for SQL).

2.0 Prerequisites 

Complete these steps on every server that will be part of the Venio environment.

2.1 Service Account & Security

• [ ] Create an Active Directory user account to act as the Venio Service Account (e.g., svc_venio).
• [ ] Make the Venio Service Account a member of the local administrators group on all Venio servers.
• [ ] Make the Venio Service Account a member of the local remote desktop users group on all Venio servers.
• [ ] Grant the Venio Service Account "Log on as a service" rights on all Venio servers.

2.2 Operating System & Frameworks

• [ ] Install Microsoft Windows Server (2022 or newer).

2.3 Email Account and Security

• [ ] Create an email account which can send emails over TLS/SSL.

3.0 Component Installation & Configuration

Important: All installations and configurations must be performed while logged in as the Venio Service Account.

3.1 SQL Server

• [ ] Install SQL Server (Standard or Enterprise 2022 or 2025). During installation, you are responsible for setting default folders for database files (.mdf), log files (.ldf), and backups.
• [ ] Install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
• [ ] Set Server Authentication to SQL Server and Windows Authentication Mode.
• [ ] Create a dedicated SQL user account with SysAdmin privileges for Venio.

• [ ] Set the Database default locations to the correct drives.

  

  NOTE: You must restart the SQL Server service to apply the changes otherwise the old values will still be used. Also, if you go back into SSMS after making the changes but did not restart SQL Server the old values will still show in the GUI. When the changes are made they are written to the registry and SQL Server will read the new values from the registry the next time it is started.

• [ ] Ensure the SQL Agent service is running and set to start automatically.
• [ ] Ensure the service account running the SQL Agent service has full access to the location you will be storing the SQL backups.
• [ ] Configure xp_cmdshell as per Venio Upgrade Guide documentation.
• [ ] Configure SQL memory and query settings:
  • [ ] Set Maximum Server Memory.
  • [ ] Set Cost Threshold for Parallelism between 25 and 50.
  • [ ] Set Max Degree of Parallelism (refer to best practices).
• [ ] Set Login Auditing to "Both failed and successful logins".
• [ ] Create SQL maintenance jobs:
  • [ ] Rebuild Index jobs (monthly).
  • [ ] Update Statistics jobs (weekly).
  • [ ] You are responsible for setting up and maintaining your own SQL database backup settings, including schedules (e.g., Full weekly, Differential daily, Logs quarter-hourly) and locations.

3.2 Web Server

• [ ] Add the service account to "Log on as Service" User Right Assignment policy, either through Group Policy or Local Security Policy.
  
• [ ] Install Internet Information Services (IIS).
• [ ] Install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2.
• [ ] Install all versions of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist
• [ ] From "Turn Windows features on or off," enable the following IIS features:
  • IIS 6 Management Compatibility
  • IIS Management Console
  • IIS Management Scripts and Tools
  • IIS Management Service
  • Under Application Development: .NET Extensibility 4.x (or newer)
• [ ] Ensure whichever account is running the 'Web Export Service' has full access to whichever folder is configured by the web, ondemandapi, and export service as the TEMP folder.
• [ ] Ensure whichever account is running the 'Web Export Service' is the same account utilized as the identity for the application pool.
• [ ] Ensure that the web server where the temp folder is created grants full access permissions to both the user groups and IIS users.

4.0 Acquiring Venio Software

• [ ] Log in to the Venio Systems Client Portal with your provided credentials.
• [ ] Download the following packages:
  • Venio Systems Installation Package
  • Admin/User Guides

5.0 Network Firewall Configuration Summary

Our application provides the SMTP server name, port, password, and account to the SQL Server Agent Mail to Use Database Mail. The SQL server needs to be able to make outbound SMTP connections to whichever email provider you have.

* You can use non-default SQL ports in either the UI during setup <hostname>:<1234> or by modifying the 'venio-setup.ini' configuration file manually.
ⁱ If using TLS/SSL (recommended) you do NOT need port 25
ᵗ WAN only for external email servers (google, Microsoft365). Local email servers (Exchange or Notes) do NOT need WAN access.
 

If using Azure/VMs, or an external firewall, make sure to configure rules appropriately in addition to the Microsoft Windows Firewall rules.

6.0 Install Venio Console, VenioWeb, OnDemandAPI (in order)

First, Install console. Selecting VenioOne and Database Setup only.

During Venio Console installation, supply the connection details to the SQL server using a sysadmin service account. This enables venio software installer to create the databases, schema, stored procedures, and other necessary SQL configurations.

Next, in your IIS server, install VenioWeb.

Finally, also in your IIS server, install the Web API, VenioOnDemand.

Venio Environment Post-Deployment/Upgrade Configuration Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for configuring key settings in a Venio environment after a new deployment or version upgrade. It is designed for both end users (e.g., clients managing their own setups) and Venio support staff. Configurations involve SQL updates to the database (typically VenioPCD), so ensure you have appropriate database access and backup the database before making changes.

Important Notes:

• Replace placeholders like venio.acme.com with your actual domain (e.g., the hosted URL provided by Venio or your organization).
• All SQL queries assume execution in the VenioPCD database. Use a tool like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to run them.
• Test changes in a non-production environment first.

Configure Control Settings

• [ ] Update the tbl_pj_ControlSetting table to set the base URLs for web access, API, and help resources. These ensure proper connectivity to Venio services.

Example Values

SQL Queries to Update

-- Update or insert WEB_BASE_URL
IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM tbl_pj_ControlSetting WHERE [key] = 'WEB_BASE_URL')
UPDATE tbl_pj_ControlSetting SET value = 'https://venio.acme.com/VenioWeb' WHERE [key] = 'WEB_BASE_URL';
ELSE
INSERT INTO tbl_pj_ControlSetting ([key], value) VALUES ('WEB_BASE_URL', 'https://venio.acme.com/VenioWeb');
-- Update or insert VOD_API_URL
IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM tbl_pj_ControlSetting WHERE [key] = 'VOD_API_URL')
UPDATE tbl_pj_ControlSetting SET value = 'https://venio.acme.com/VenioOnDemandAPI/vod/services' WHERE [key] = 'VOD_API_URL';
ELSE
INSERT INTO tbl_pj_ControlSetting ([key], value) VALUES ('VOD_API_URL', 'https://venio.acme.com/VenioOnDemandAPI/vod/services');
-- Update or insert VOD_HELP_URL
IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM tbl_pj_ControlSetting WHERE [key] = 'VOD_HELP_URL')
UPDATE tbl_pj_ControlSetting SET value = 'https://veniosystems.zendesk.com' WHERE [key] = 'VOD_HELP_URL';
ELSE
INSERT INTO tbl_pj_ControlSetting ([key], value) VALUES ('VOD_HELP_URL', 'https://veniosystems.zendesk.com');
-- Verification Query:
SELECT [key], value FROM tbl_pj_ControlSetting WHERE [key] IN ('WEB_BASE_URL', 'VOD_API_URL', 'VOD_HELP_URL');

Optional: Configure Root URL Redirect via IIS Manager

If you prefer users to access the Venio web interface without appending /VenioWeb to the base URL (e.g., directly via https://venio.acme.com/), set up a URL rewrite rule in IIS to redirect the root path to /VenioWeb. This is an optional convenience step and requires administrative access to IIS.

Warning: Requires the URL Rewrite module (link provided) and could break if other root paths exist.

Follow these steps in IIS Manager:

1. Open IIS Manager and select your site in the Connections pane.
2. In the Features View, double-click URL Rewrite. (If not visible, install the module from https://www.iis.net/downloads/microsoft/url-rewrite.)
3. In the Actions pane, click Add Rule(s)....
4. Select Blank rule under Inbound rules and click OK.
5. Configure the rule with the following settings:
Name: Enter a descriptive name, e.g., "Redirect Root to VenioWeb".
Requested URL: Set to "Matches the Pattern".
Using: Select "Regular Expressions".
Pattern: ^$ 
Ignore case: Checked (default).
Conditions: Leave empty (no additional conditions needed).
Server Variables: Leave empty.
Action:
Action Type: Select "Redirect".
Redirect URL: Enter /VenioWeb (relative path with leading slash).
Append query string: Checked.
Redirect type: Select "Permanent (301)" for production (SEO-friendly) or "Found (302)" for testing.
6. Click Apply in the Actions pane to save the rule.
7. Restart the site or IIS if necessary (via Actions > Restart).

After this configuration, accessing the root URL will automatically redirect to /VenioWeb. Ensure this does not conflict with other site rules or applications.

7.0 Create new 'Legal Admin' User(s)

Login to VenioOne Console. User is 'super' with the first-time password of 's'. You will be forced to create a new password for the 'super' account. Once logged in, create a new user. Only a user account with the Venio Admin level of 'Legal Admin' will see the LegalHold component upon login to the web interface.

8.0 SMTP Server Config Post-Install

Venio requires SMTP server configuration after installation to enable email notifications and other mail-related features. In the Venio Console, navigate to the Administration Tab > Configure Server > SMTP.

Provide your email provider's SMTP settings and account information, including server name, port (e.g., 587 for TLS/SSL), username, and password. Test the connection to ensure it works.

Important: By default, Venio utilizes the SQL Server Agent's "Database Mail" feature for sending emails. This is the recommended and simplest setup, as it leverages built-in SQL Server capabilities for reliability and queuing.

Bypassing SQL Server Agent Database Mail is OPTIONAL and should only be considered if you have specific requirements that prevent using SQL Agent (e.g., restrictions on SQL Agent usage or custom workflow needs). If you choose to bypass it:

• Use the following SQL command to update the control setting in tbl_pj_ControlSetting. Set the [Value] from '1' to '0' where [Key] = 'USE_WORKFLOW_TO_RUN_SQLAGENT_JOB'.
• Ensure the Venio Task Synchronizer component is installed.
• Ensure the Task Scheduler runs as the Venio Service Account with administrative permissions.
• Run the following SQL script in the VenioPCD database to set up the email notification workflow rule:

DECLARE @EmailerPluginId bigint
SELECT TOP 1 @EmailerPluginId = [PluginId] FROM [dbo].[tbl_jb_PluginInfo] WHERE [PluginName] = N'Emailer'
IF @EmailerPluginId IS NOT NULL AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM [dbo].[tbl_jb_WorkflowRules] where [Name] = N'Send Email Notification')
BEGIN
INSERT INTO [dbo].[tbl_jb_WorkflowRules]
   ([ProjectId]
   ,[UserId]
   ,[Name]
   ,[Description]
   ,[IsEnabled]
   ,[StartDate]
   ,[EndDate]
   ,[IsRecurring]
   ,[Interval]
   ,[IntervalType]
   ,[IsConditional]
   ,[Source]
   ,[Action]
   ,[PluginArgument]
   ,[Status]
   ,[IsDeleted]
   ,[PreviousName]
   ,[IsSystem])
 VALUES
   (0
   ,1
   ,N'Send Email Notification'
   ,N'Occurs every 1 Minute(s). Schedule will be used starting on ' + format(getdate(), 'M/d/yyyy') + N' at 12:00 AM'
   ,1
   ,dateadd(day, datediff(d,0, GETDATE()), 0)
   ,NULL
   ,1
   ,1
   ,3
   ,0
   ,NULL
   ,'' + cast(@EmailerPluginId as varchar) +''
   ,N''
   ,0
   ,0
   ,''
   ,1)
END

IF NOT EXISTS(SELECT TOP 1 1 FROM tbl_pj_ControlSetting WHERE [Key]='USE_WORKFLOW_TO_RUN_SQLAGENT_JOB')
INSERT INTO tbl_pj_ControlSetting ([Key],Value,AdditionalNotes) VALUES('USE_WORKFLOW_TO_RUN_SQLAGENT_JOB','0','')
ELSE
UPDATE tbl_pj_ControlSetting SET Value='0' WHERE [Key]='USE_WORKFLOW_TO_RUN_SQLAGENT_JOB'

Note: Stick with the default SQL Server Agent setup unless you have a compelling reason to change it, as bypassing it adds complexity and requires additional components.

9.0 Test login from the web interface with newly created account that has Venio Admin Level of 'Legal Admin'

Use the same URL as the tbl_pj_ControlSetting [Value] where [Key] = 'WEB_BASE_URL'.

If issues arise, contact Venio support with details of your environment and changes made.